


Lothario

by GrumpyJenn



Category: NCIS
Genre: Episode Tag s03e09 Frame Up, Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-30
Updated: 2016-11-30
Packaged: 2018-09-03 08:37:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 337
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8705314
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GrumpyJenn/pseuds/GrumpyJenn





	

"Did you think I did it?"

 _Dammit,_ Tony thought, _I didn't mean to just blurt it out like that. Real smooth, DiNozzo_.

He wondered vaguely why it was important to him that Ziva hadn't thought he'd done it.

But she was regarding him seriously, _without_ the smirk that meant she was going to deflate his ego with a well-placed verbal barb. Or an elbow to the gut.

Oh, Tony liked Ziva David,, no question. She was beautiful, lethal, smart, and funny. It would be nice if she believed in him.

Kate would have, for all she used to give as good as she got in the snark department.

"No," Ziva said quietly, and yanked Tony back from the thoughts circling in his mind.

"Really?" His voice cracked a little. God, why was he so _needy_ about this? The Boss and the others hadn't thought he'd done it, that was the important thing, so why was Ziva's opinion so damn important?

"No. I mean, yes, really." She seemed to be struggling with the words, as she often did in English when there was emotion involved. When she _let_ herself feel, let the rest of them see the emotion. "Tony, you play at the ah... Lothario, yes?" He nodded, wincing internally. Was that what she really thought of him? But she was still talking, her eyes never leaving his. "And you are the smart-butt about women all the time."

"Smart-ass, Ziva."

She waved that away. "Same difference. Tony... the smart-ass and the Lothario, those are on the surface. Under that, you love women. You might kill one, if you had to, if there was no other choice." She took a deep breath. "But you would not... you would never... _deface_ a woman. The legs..." Ziva looked away for the first time, her expression uncomfortable. "I do not believe you have that - ah - _coldness_."

"Thanks for that," Tony heard himself say, and Ziva smiled up at him.

"Any time," she said. "We are partners, yes?"

 _Ah_ , Tony thought. _That's why._


End file.
